Full Name: David Noko
Position: Executive VP: social and sustainable development, AngloGold Ashanti, since June 2012; nonexecutive director, Royal Bafokeng Platinum
Main Activity of Company: Gold mining and exploration
Date and Place of Birth: June 1957, Sabie, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Education: Elukhanyisweni High School, Witbank; Wits Technikon, mechanical engineering, 1984; University of the Witwatersrand, MDP, 1992; Heriot Watt University, MBA, 1998; postgraduate diploma in company direction, senior executive programme, London Business School, 2006
First Job: South African Council of Churches
Size of First Pay Packet: R400 a month – in 1978
Career History Prior to Current Position: GEC Motors, 1981 to 1986; South African Breweries, Rosslyn, 1987 to 1994; Pepsi Cola International, 1994 to 1996; GM and CEO Air Chefs, 1997 to 2002; senior project manager and GM: engineering, De Beers; GM, Kimberley Mines, 2002 to 2006; MD, De Beers Consolidated Mines, 2006 to 2010
Value of Assets under Your Control: AngloGold Ashanti’s market capitalisation, measured monthly at month-end, ranged between $17.5-billion and $12.2-billion during 2012
Number of People under Your Leadership: AngloGold Ashanti employs 63 000 people
Management Style: Creating an enabling environment and influencing change
Personal Best Achievement: Influencing the growth of other people
Professional Best Achievement: Execution in engineering work and business leadership
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My parents and my own appetite for achievement
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: I have always admired the corporate leadership at SABMiller
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Nobody in particular at this dynamic stage
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Graham Mackay
Philosophy of Life: Interact with people and your environment; I cherish diversity and dislike too much hierarchy
Biggest Ever Opportunity: The De Beers MD opportunity and now my present position at AngloGold Ashanti
Biggest Ever Disappointment: I am disappointed by my failure to make good traction with the PhD programme I started in 2010
Hope for the Future: My objective is to make sure that AngloGold Ashanti stands out as a leading mining company
Favourite Reading: Business literature and books on eradicating poverty. I am currently reading a book entitled Next Generation Business Strategies for the Base of the Pyramid, by Ted London and Stuart L Hart
Favourite TV Programme: News and sport
Favourite Food/Drink: Vegetables and greens mostly and an occasional glass of healthy red wine
Favourite Music: Afro jazz, South African music. I am intrigued by South American music and I am currently exploring Caribbean music, which I find exceptionally beautiful
Favourite Sport: Working out in the gym and walking
Hobbies: Reading and on-road travelling
Car: Two cars, both Mercedes-Benz
Pets: My Bonsai tree
Miscellaneous Dislikes: I am fanatical about execution and its absence frustrates me to hell. I do not go along with too much talk and too little action. It is good to spend time planning and doing what is called ‘good front-end loading’, but then do the real work, and do it well
Favourite other South African Company: SABMiller. I love its philosophy of continuous improvement
Favourite Foreign Company: Apple, currently the company with the largest market capitalisation
Married: I subscribe to good family values
Children: Four – one girl and three boys
Clubs: Institute of Directors